Cecile Richards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cecile Richards
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Richards in 2016
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| President of Planned Parenthood | |
| In office February 2006 – April 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Gloria Feldt |
| Succeeded by | Leana Wen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1957 Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 20, 2025 (aged 67) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Kirk Adams
(m. 1985) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent |
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| Education | Brown University (BA) |
Cecile Richards (born July 15, 1957 – died January 20, 2025) was an American activist. She was known for leading the organization Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, she joined the board of trustees for the Ford Foundation, which is a large group that helps people around the world. In 2019, Richards also helped start Supermajority, a group focused on helping women get involved in politics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Cecile Richards was born in Waco, Texas, on July 15, 1957. Her mother, Ann Richards, was a famous politician who became the governor of Texas. Her father, David Richards, was a lawyer who worked on important cases about civil rights.
Cecile grew up in Dallas and Austin, Texas. When she was in ninth grade, she protested the Vietnam War by wearing a black armband to school. She was disciplined for this, so she then attended St. Stephen's Episcopal School for the rest of high school. She later earned a bachelor's degree in history from Brown University in 1980.
Career and Activism
Cecile Richards grew up in a family that was very involved in political activism. When she was 13, she was an honorary page for the Texas State Legislature. At 16, she helped her mother campaign for Sarah Weddington, a lawyer who worked on a very important legal case about women's rights.
After college, Richards became a labor organizer. She helped workers in different states and in Guatemala to form unions. These unions helped garment workers, nursing home workers, and janitors. When she was 30, she moved back to Texas to help her mother's campaign for governor.
Richards also worked for several important organizations. She was on the board of the Ford Foundation, which works to improve human well-being globally. She helped create America Votes, a group that works to support progressive ideas. She also served as a top assistant to Nancy Pelosi, who was a leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 1996, Richards started the Texas Freedom Network. This group was formed to work against certain conservative religious groups in Texas. She also advised Let America Vote, an organization that works to make sure everyone has the right to vote.
Leading Planned Parenthood
Richards became the president of Planned Parenthood in 2006. During her time there, she helped the group grow by getting more donors and volunteers. She led Planned Parenthood for over a decade before stepping down in 2018. Leana Wen took over as president after her.
Supermajority
In April 2019, Richards co-founded a new political group called Supermajority. She started it with other activists, Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo. The group's goal is to teach and train women to push for a political plan that supports women's issues. These issues include voting rights, gun control, paid family leave, and equal pay.
Supermajority wants to help more women get involved in politics. They teach women basic organizing skills, like how to register voters. They also work to support more female candidates in elections. Richards hoped that if more than half of voters were women, they could help elect leaders who would support the issues women care about.
Writing Books
In 2003, Cecile Richards wrote a piece called "Combating the Religious Right" for a book called Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium.
In 2018, she published her own book, a memoir titled Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead. This book shares stories about her childhood and her career as an activist.
Personal Life
Cecile Richards was married to Kirk Adams, who was also a labor organizer. They married in 1985 and had three children: Lily, Hannah, and Daniel. Their oldest daughter, Lily Adams, became a press secretary for politicians like Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton. She also worked for Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.
Cecile Richards was diagnosed with a serious type of brain cancer in mid-2023. She passed away at her home in Manhattan, New York, on January 20, 2025, at the age of 67.
Awards and Honors
Cecile Richards received several important awards for her work:
- In 2010, she received the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.
- In 2012, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
- On November 20, 2024, President Joe Biden gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House. This is one of the highest honors a civilian can receive in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Cecile Richards para niños
